Foldable roof soft tops are commonly used in sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and utility task vehicles (UTVs) for recreational purposes. The foldable roof is typically moveable between at least a sunroof position and a deployed position. When in the deployed position, the foldable roof covers the vehicle interior to protect the occupants of the vehicle from various weather conditions. When in the sunroof position, the foldable roof rotates rearward such that the vehicle essentially functions without part of the roof over the front occupant compartment, exposing the interior of the vehicle to the atmosphere. This allows the occupants of the vehicle to enjoy more favorable weather conditions while driving. Some soft tops are also completely retractable and/or can be removed from the vehicle, when desired. Other soft tops are fixed panel tops. Yet other soft tops are soft weather shield systems for a enclosing the cockpit, rear seating and/or cargo areas.
The soft top cover material is typically comprised of fabric, twill acrylic fabric, multi-layer sailcloth fabric, or any other suitable flexible material and combinations thereof. However, since it is difficult to effectively mount components to the soft top cover and to provide power sources, typical interiors of soft top vehicles often lack amenities such as lighting.
Therefore, there remains a need in the art for a soft top design with lighting. It is also essential to provide a solution that can travel with and not be damaged by folding, sliding, or otherwise moving of the soft top cover from the deployed position to the sunroof position or fully retracted position depending on the particular application.